This post was going to only be about the fun and easy chair exercises done at home to strengthen our bones and muscles. I then read the latest reports stating that inactivity is killing as many of us as smoking, and it’s not just here in the United States but worldwide. We have known for a long time that a lack of exercise and physical activity can harm us in many ways, including increasing our risk of death, now it’s right up there with smoking. It sounds like if we just get off the couch and get physically active we will live longer. But the couch is so comfortable and we want to sit and just watch our favorite TV shows in peace. However, those reports should give us something to really think about. Regardless of our age or physical condition, if we are all aiming for longevity, then those reports should be our wake-up call to do everything we can to keep the Grim Reaper at bay while reaping the benefits from just moving it!

Many of us have good intentions and make resolutions to start exercising but we’re too busy right now, plus, we’re too tired, too old, too sickly, too fat, too thin, and on and on with the reasons. If we are working, how do we fit it into our schedule? For those who are retired, many don’t want to get up at the crack of dawn to go to a gym or exercise class, and not everyone can afford a gym membership. Besides, getting up early was for going to work–been there, done that. But there are those who do better in a class or with a buddy.

What’s the difference between exercise and physical activity? Physical activities are actions that get your body moving, like gardening, walking, climbing stairs, biking. Exercise is a form of physical activity specifically planned, structured, and repetitive such as yoga, tai chi, aerobics or weight training. Both come in many forms giving you the energy needed to do everyday activities as well as maintain and improve your health in order to complete your bucket list. They can offer a brand new way of looking at life.

But what about that chair? The chair exercises are not limited to just strengthening our bones and muscles, they can result in a full-body workout for anyone. Here’s our chance to “have our cake and eat it too!” (On second thought, the cake might not be such a good idea.) If the couch is killing us, perhaps the chair will actually save our lives, as we exercise at home while watching TV. Now we can get our exercise in on our terms and time. No special equipment needed–just a sturdy chair! Water bottles or cans of food to use for dumbbells, a tennis ball, a towel and a resistance band will be your “expensive” equipment. I saw a demonstration on TV showing how just 30 seconds of using a resistance band resulted in a high intensity full-body workout. Of course not everyone is physically up for all that sweating and heavy breathing, so take your time and let your body tell you what’s right for you. Some people even credit the hula hoop and the jump rope for their fitness and weight loss–sounds like fun!

Once inspired, you may want to abandon the chair and transition into different ways of exercising, but before you try to earn an INSANITY T-shirt, be sure to check with your doctor. Your activity level should fit your physical and medical condition. People with osteoporosis or low bone density should avoid movements such as twisting or jarring the spine or bending forward from the waist.

Whether you’re a senior with reduced motility or a younger person looking to exercise at the office, this is a great way to relax, stretch, get your heart rate up, reduce stress, strengthen muscles and bones, improve circulation, as well as burn calories. These exercises can even benefit our technology-hooked kids who think punishment is having to go outside and play.

Many of the exercises learned from the chair activities can be done anytime, anywhere and carried over into your daily routine.

While in line, standing on one leg like a flamingo, you’ll be working on improving your balance. Even the act of rising up on your tiptoes is not just for ballerinas as you stand at your kitchen counter preparing a meal, or bathroom sink brushing your teeth. Other activities can even be done while sitting or standing in church–or not. For those interested in burning calories, standing up and stepping in place during commercials would also help. If you think these exercise look too easy to be of any benefit, try them, you’ll like them, you’ll become a believer. Your body and your brain will thank you. The “feel good” hormones kicking in will be your reward.

How can these exercises that improve our balance, posture and flexibility, strengthen our muscles and bones, and increase endurance, really help in your future? What physical activities do you really enjoy? Are you preparing to do them for many years to come? Will your picture be used one day in a blog as an example of an active senior?

Could you be her partner?

How’s your pedal power?

Will climbing stairs be a challenge?

Will you “strike out” physically?

Your endurance could be such that your children or grandchildren will have a hard time keeping up with you. Maybe you are just hoping that your hips and knees allow you to walk to your favorite fishing hole, shop till you drop, or have the flexibility and strength to continue to bend, lift, dig, and rake in your garden. Believe it or not, even short spurts of physical activity throughout the day can reap big benefits for our life span.

For years I heard that exercise is good for you, blah, blah, blah–I had tuned out. As far as I was concerned, exercise was for everyone who wanted to lose weight and for those who were inactive. However, over the years I would swim, or take yoga or exercise classes, but I bowled on a regular basis because that’s what I really enjoy. Now, I realize that the blah, blah, blah was how regular exercise and physical activity could increase my chances of being able to bend and tie my bowling shoes and throw that bowling ball for years to come. I could continue driving to the bowling lanes because I would be able to turn my head with ease while backing out of the driveway or a parking space. Exercise could mean that I would have the mental awareness to know a strike from a space. Will being bedridden from osteoporosis cancel out bowling? Just in case, I opt for breaking a sweat rather than breaking a bone. The exercises I do to improve my balance and flexibility could keep me dancing without missing a beat. Will depression from poor health silence my singing? Is it up to me to make sure arthritis won’t make playing the piano only a memory? Will a walker replace that brisk walk in the park?

I’m pretty sure we all want to continue doing the activities we enjoy for many more years. And think about the things we do everyday from the time we get up until we go to bed, allowing us to reach our ULTIMATE GOAL–maintaining our independence in our home! Or will be become occupants in a different kind of home?

Reports state that by being physically active and exercising regularly we can reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes, protect our brain against memory loss and Alzheimer’s, cut the risk of heart disease, improve sleep, lessen arthritis pain, reduce stress, and boost our mood to eliminate depression. Is that enough to motivate you to put the blah, blah, blah into action?

The National Institutes of Health has a FREE 120-page Go4Life Exercise and Physical Activity guide and FREE DVD showing these easy chair and wall exercises for improving endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. It’s like having a personal trainer in your living room , only you can hit pause whenever you need to. (http://www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life).

The reason for starting a blog was to find others who may be going through the same issues around health, nutrition, longevity, etc., and I hope these posts on osteoporosis will open the door for a way to help each other on this journey. I knew I had to take the diagnosis of osteopenia seriously, especially after learning that one in five people with a hip fracture will end up in a nursing home within a year. Plus, they are at risk of dying during the year after the break–the threat of death has a way of grabbing our attention.

Hopefully, by now you have read the two posts above and you’re planning to get off the couch and engage in some kind of daily physical activity in your effort to become stronger and more flexible each day.

Now let’s talk about the other part of this healthy regime, a well-balanced nutrition plan for our most valuable “assets”, our bones and muscles. Keep in mind that what’s good for them is good for the whole body as well. Is what you’re eating, helping or hurting your body?

DWINDLING STOCKPILE

Everyone is probably aware of the fact that calcium and vitamin D are needed for bone health. Since we are all in the same boat, because about age 30 we start losing more bone than we replace, we now have to make an effort to maintain and strengthen what we have. Not every older person gets osteoporosis, but it does become more common with age. Even if we have a stockpile of strong bones built before adulthood, there are those factors putting us at risk we have no control over, like age, family history, gender, and size. Plus, certain medications and medical disorders are also risk factors. The unhealthy habits known to cause bone loss, which we can change, are physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol abuse.

INSUFFICIENT FUNDS

Unlike other health problems where we feel or look sick, we don’t “feel” like our bones are fragile. Unfortunately, we can’t go to the doctor and ask for a blood test to see if we need to eat more calcium or take a supplement. About 99 percent of the calcium in our body is in our bones and isn’t measured by a blood test. A bone density test, similar to an x-ray, is for that purpose. The bad part is that our body can’t produce calcium, it must be absorbed daily through our diet, and to make matters worse, each day we lose it through our skin, nails, hair, sweat, and waste. Many Americans don’t get the amount of calcium for our body’s needs so it’s taken from our bones, leaving them weak and fragile. Of those 50 years of age or older, more than 10 million men and women have osteoporosis, and nearly 34 million are thought to have weak bones. So how do we get our daily recommended amount?

RICH RESOURCES

Foods naturally rich in calcium include milk/milk products, leafy green vegetables, (one cup of cooked collard greens has 266 mg of calcium), a few fish and shellfish, nuts, dried beans, asparagus, broccoli, unsulphured blackstrap molasses, bok choy, to name a few. (See website at end of post for a short video on bok choy.) Our body doesn’t absorb calcium well from foods high in oxalates, such as spinach, rhubarb, Swiss chard, or certain beans, however, these foods have other healthy nutrients.

Many studies have linked a higher intake of fruits and vegetables to be beneficial for bone health as well as for our health in general. Studies show that eating the rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables, with their different colored compounds, may prevent disease. For instance, red may help by reducing the risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate, and it protects cells from damage and keeps our heart healthy. Other colors have their own unique compounds promising health benefits. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by the Department of Agriculture, we should aim for at least two cups of fruits and two and one-half cups of vegetables daily. (Although fruit looks pretty in that bowl on the counter, it will stay fresh longer when it’s not all together.) To get your personalized daily food plan, see websites at the end of post.

Now what about the fact that milk is at the top of the list of calcium-rich foods but it is definitely not on the list for those of us who are lactose intolerant and those who don’t eat dairy? Luckily, calcium-fortified foods come to the rescue: A few brands of breakfast cereals, snacks, breads, and drinks like rice, coconut, almond, and soy milk, as well as orange juice, are fortified with at least 30% (300 mg) of calcium. Some provide several health benefits and are high in essential nutrients; however, others may be sugar overload for diabetics. Be sure to shake the carton of any fortified liquid before each use because calcium settles to the bottom. (See website at end of post for a short video on dairy substitutions.)

“ADDED VALUE”

Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium. Its other benefits include, reducing infections, improving the immune system and preventing some cancers. There is a blood test for vitamin D levels. Some food products are fortified with vitamin D with the Nutrition Facts showing the daily value. The limited food sources include egg yolks, sardines, salmon, mackerel and tuna. Our skin naturally makes vitamin D from ultra violet rays (UVB) in sunlight. I’m sure some people will be upset to learn that they are not going to get their dose of vitamin D in sunlight coming through the window pane. I was determined to get my dose even during the winter months by sitting in the sun outside on my deck. But then I realized instead of catching some rays, I would probably catch pneumonia. Actually, the amount of vitamin D our exposed skin makes depends on the season, time of day, latitude, our skin pigmentation, and other factors. Consequently, production may decrease or be completely absent during the winter depending on where we live.

More studies are being done on foods that may rob our bones of calcium or decrease calcium absorption and in some way harm our bones: salty foods, caffeine in coffee, tea, and colas, but not other soft drinks, are a few foods in question.

Visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation (nof.org) website to see your risk factors, recommended daily calcium and vitamin D values, and a list of other foods with essential vitamins and minerals affecting our bones and muscles.

As for calcium and vitamin D supplements and osteoporosis medications, what we are being told is beneficial one day, seems to be bad the next, therefore I’m staying out of that discussion.

I’ve been wondering if it’s possible to see any outward signs to let us know that our bones are being strengthened because of all this healthy eating, and I’m somewhat encouraged. Since I’ve been on this bone-enrichment plan, which includes eating more fruits and vegetables, my nails are longer and stronger than ever before. Could this be a good sign that my bones are being strengthened as well?

See post “Simple Salmon” in Fannie’s Kitchen for an easy, bone-building meal.

This post was originally going to only be about osteoporosis (oss-tee-oh-pore-OH-sis) (porous bones) and would be of concern to women only, and I would not get into all the information they could easily find online. I was going to tell about the pitfalls I ran into while doing all the things needed to keep bones strong, like walking, yoga, and exercising. Well, I soon realized that those pitfalls could actually save anyone from a hospital stay, keep someone out of a wheel chair, prevent a stroke, or even death.

WARNING: DON’T ASSUME!

Now you’re probably wondering what on earth these kids have to do with this post. The caption for the picture reads “Yeah, Sis, osteoporosis really is a crying shame!” To me, this little girl is typical of the child who would eventually become that thin, small, older woman with fragile bones and break a hip because of osteoporosis. Her little consoling brother assumes, that as a male, he really won’t have to worry about this awful thing. Well, we were both wrong. First of all, men get osteoporosis too, and men and women of all backgrounds need to be aware that they could be at risk. Building strong, healthy bones begins at birth and lasts our whole life. Consequently, calcium-rich foods, along with sunshine for vitamin D, and plenty of physical activity are essential even early in life. It’s like building a savings account of strong bones for adulthood. Little did I know that all of us start losing bone about age 30 when the rate of bone building slows down as the rate of bone loss picks up. How wrong I was to assume that I never had to worry about osteoporosis because I didn’t fit the profile of that little girl.

You might be thinking, (assuming) that you don’t have to worry because your bones feel just fine. Osteoporosis is a “silent disease” where your bones become fragile and break easily causing terrible pain. Here’s the sad part and the real crying shame: Very fragile bones can break from something as simple as a hug, sneezing, bending over, bumping into furniture or even spontaneously–you don’t have to fall to break a bone, your bones can break, causing you to fall! I like the way it’s described in The Surgeon General’s Report: With osteoporosis, your body’s frame becomes like the frame of a house damaged by termites. Termites weaken your house like osteoporosis weaken your bones.

One in five people with a hip fracture will most likely end up in a nursing home within a year and others may be confined to a wheel chair, or worse!

EARLY DETECTION

Now I’m pretty savvy about taking charge of my health and keeping up with tests women should have at different stages of life. However, because of my assumption that I wasn’t a candidate for osteoporosis, I never thought to ask for the pain-free, 10-15 minute bone density test. This is an x-ray showing how strong your bones are, and my doctor never mentioned it. I became concerned and asked for the test only after a dear friend, with osteoporosis, fell and broke her wrist. The most common breaks in weak bones are in the wrist, spine and hip, but any bone can be affected. Early detection is critical because by the time any symptoms (pain or fracture) become apparent, the disease process is already far advanced.

Now here is something to think about: What if our primary care doctor had a form in front of every patient’s chart, one for men and one for women, listing all the tests we should have according to our age and risk factors? That form would have been right there in plain sight making my doctor aware of when I was due to have a bone density test, and I could have been spared the diagnosis now of osteopenia (thinning bones). (How about also putting the patient’s photograph with the form? It would be especially helpful in the chart of patients hospitalized or in nursing homes. How many injuries or deaths occur each year as a result of patients getting the wrong treatment or medication due to misidentification?)

KNOW YOUR RISKS

I’m sure we have all heard about the wonderful benefits of tai chi and yoga. One day our well-qualified yoga instructor said that anyone with heart disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma or certain health problems, should not do the next poses. Well, I assumed she didn’t mean me because my one and only medication is for high blood pressure and I assumed it was under control, therefore I did the poses. When I got home and took my blood pressure because I didn’t feel “quite right” it was sky high. Those poses, called inversions, are a group of yoga positions where your hips or legs are higher than your heart, or the heart is higher than the head,

spiking your blood pressure and increasing your risk for stroke or other cardiac event. Of course there was no need to stop the classes, I just stopped doing those poses.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Because I’m not crazy about exercising, I was elated when one day I read an article promising to reverse bone loss in just ten minutes a day. I assumed this meant that I never ever had to exercise again. It turned out that they were talking about isometric resistance movements. Thankfully, I went online to research this claim. The warning in several articles was in big bold print stating “If you have high blood pressure or any heart problems you must avoid doing isometrics.” It causes your blood pressure to rise to extremely high levels leading to fainting, headaches, even stroke. This is due to what’s known as the valsalva maneuver which happens when we’re grunting or straining, holding our breath and not breathing properly while exercising. I’m not going to attempt to fully explain it here, but see website at the end of this post and I urge you to read all about it.

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS

Walking is one of the best exercises we can do because of all the health benefits. How glad I was when our new community center opened and had an indoor walking track. Just 16 laps around the track equals one mile. I was under the assumption that surely I could walk a mile without stopping, so I started out like I was in training for race walking. Around lap 12 or 13 I started slowing down and realized I was not breathing right and was straining and forcing myself to continue. (Why is it so many of us don’t know how to breathe when it comes to exercising? Instead of breathing openly and freely, we actually do the opposite and hold our breath.) At lap 15 I wasn’t feeling “quite right” but told myself I could do one more lap, but my body told me to quit and go home. To shorten this story, at home I waited for my blood pressure to come down but it continued to steadily rise. It was well pass time to call 911 when it reached 230/180–I was experiencing the valsalva effect. This assumption that I was physically prepared to walk a mile, put me in hospital for two days having all kinds of tests including a heart catheterization.

Lesson learned–ASSUMPTIONS CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!

So what’s this sleepy looking bear have to do with anything? Good news! Research is underway at several medical centers and universities to find out why bears are able to maintain their bone strength following months of hibernation. Let’s hope this research leads to preventing and reversing bone loss and finding better treatment options for osteoporosis in the future.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (http://www.nof.org) has more information than you can imagine.

Be sure to have your vision checked. A recent report discovered that having surgery to correct cataracts resulted in fewer broken hips from falls in older people. It would be a good idea to have your hearing checked also, especially if you think everybody is whispering.